Nigerian State-Owned Power Firm to Restore Power to Eastern RegionThe Nigerian National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) announced on Saturday that it will restore power from next Monday to between 30 million and 50 million people in the eastern part of the country cut off since June 4.According to a statement issued in the capital Abuja, the power supply will also be restored to central states of Adamawa, Taraba, Kogi and Benue, and part of southern Delta State, which also affected by the power disruption. The NEPA attributed the power disruptions to the collapse of a key electricity tower at Abudu in southern Edo State, which resulted in darkness of 13 eastern states late last Monday. NEPA engineers and a team of international energy company had been mobilized to speed up work at the site of collapsed tower, the statement said, adding that the team was working round the clock to ensure restoration of power to the affected areas seven days earlier than anticipated. However, most Nigerians have had to live in darkness for months on end because Africa's most populous country lacks the capacity to generate the about 4,000 megawatts of power it requires to light homes and keep industries running across the country. Earlier on Wednesday, the state-owned NEPA has vowed to do everything possible to meet the government's target of interrupted power supply in the country, saying that plans are underway to raise the daily power generation capacity of 3,000 to 4,000 megawatts by December this year. The NEPA's current output hovers between a recent low of 1,200 and the more constant 2,000 megawatts. |
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